Jitterbug's swing at Club Imperial * St.Louis 1959

Kids dancing at the weekly TV show 'Dance Party' filmed live at Club Imperial. This was St. Louis' teen dance party show, similiar to 'American Bandstand' except with better Black R&B/R'nR bands, the band in the background is 'Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm'

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Swing
• Dance
• Lindy
• Hop
• St.Louis
• Jitterbug
• Imperial

[ginsushark]

acording to jitterbuzz: "The name "Saint Louis Shag" comes from the Imperial, a pre-Lindy dance that was quite popular in St. Louis and Kansas City. The dance takes its name from the Imperial Ballroom in Saint Louis. As with everything else, the Imperial got modified and adapted into Lindy during the late 1920s. "

[RhythmJunkie]

@ginsushark jitterbuzz is wrong, the George Edick, the owner of Club Imperial, started calling it that to help build his club up, otherwise they were doing a regional style of Lindy Hop, the better dancers also did St. Louis Shag, which probably originated in the 1930's and is a Charleston variant with triple steps

[toby11377]

I danced there till 1955. tuesday nights and it was the place to go. I remember Teddy Cole, Kenny Wetzel, Collico. they were the ones to watch back then. Ike Turner played every week. I'm 72 yrs old and there was nothing like the Club Imperial Swing or the club. I tought a few of the guys who hubby brought home to learn the male part. I wasn't to bad at teaching the Imperial. great memiores... glad I have them and glad I found this clip... yes if the beat is slow I can still do it.

[duncanstpt]

Kids sure looked old back then.

[early60srcool]

@toby11377 You go Daddio! I am 60 and remember watching American bandstand. It was fun to watch the regulars dancing together with their partners, Then before I knew it, you had a partner but you were dancing apart: until disco came out! What goes around comes around!

[artsHscience]

I was walking my dogs down Hodiamont and heard music tonight and walked towards the old Club Imperial; now called Club Legit and it was packed. There were several hundred cars in several lots for a Horton Hears a Boom Rave dance. So the club lives on as a place for young people to dance. I'm happy; the neighborhood has hit hard times.

[JMOGH1]

@duncanstpt Oh boy, I wish you could teach me. Fabulous dancing.

[Khultan]

@tmax45R I wonder why. By the 1970s and mid70s, those 20 year olds who were probably juveniles in the 60s didn't have the ability to dance which is why the music turned out the way it did. Ugh.

[tmax45R]

By the late 50's swing danceing had become toned down to a more conservative style of dancing.

[PolarSkua]

@toby11377 I so enjoyed reading your thoughtful post. Did Chuck Berry ever perform there?

[waynebrasler]

I grew up about 10 minutes from the Club Imperial and even babysat for George Edick, who had terrible reputation but to me he was a very nice man with a very nice family. He always insisted on driving me home. Ike and Tina got their start there (at first she was Bonnie).

[andidance]

Amazing footage! Thanks for posting!

[djkissbird]

@duncanstpt lmaoooo this is the funnyest comment I ever seen! I thought that one day when I was watching grease lol